How Revamped Michigan State Offensive Line Could Spark Resurgence
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To be one of the best teams in the Big Ten, or to have a fighting chance against them, the trenches become the most important aspect of your program, especially if your team is in a rebuild under a new coaching staff and a revamped roster across the board.
The Michigan State Spartans are that team, specifically. They hired longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald to revive a program that has been stuck in the mud for the past few years, after spending many years beforehand as a consistent Big Ten contender. Fitzgerald brought in a wave of transfers from across the country to kickstart a rebuild in East Lansing.
Michigan State has seen its trenches go through it this offseason. The defensive line, led by Ben Roberts, offers some upside despite uncertainty along the front. However, it is the revamped offensive line that could spell a resurgence in the middle of the state, hopefully leading to success in Year 1 for Fitzgerald.
Spartans Revamp Offensive Line With Ample Size
The Spartans are getting two returning starters in right tackle Conner Moore and right guard Luka Vincic, who is coming back from a significant injury in week three last fall. However, left tackle to center has new additions that could benefit the offense in a major way, starting with left tackle and UConn transfer Ben Murawski.
Murawski is a massive human being at 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, showing up on tape for the Huskies as a lead blocker for star running back and transfer Cam Edwards. Joining Murawski is another monster of a person in Nick Sharpe, a sixth-year senior from South Carolina who will provide a sizeable advantage to other opponents in the interior at 6-foot-2, 351 pounds.
Michigan State will also be replacing standout center Matt Gulbin with North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley, who takes a major step in competition from the FCS to the Big Ten. Fraley is by far the smallest offensive lineman starting up front, but the group tells a story of what offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan may lean on throughout the regular season.
When you have a talent like Edwards, you have to utilize him and make him the feature piece of the offense. Fitzgerald wants to win football games, and the best way to do that with this roster is to establish the run early, often, and consistently throughout the matchup. The first-year Michigan State coach has brought in the offensive linemen to do just that; the size of this group is incredible from left to right tackle.
Spartan Nation is likely asking, "It can't be worse than last year, right?" I don't believe it will, at least from what I've watched recently. This is a group that could quickly become a strength for the offense, which is not only great news for Sheridan and Edwards, but for starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and his new-look trio at wide receiver.
Michigan State's Revamped Offensive Line Could Help With Program Resurgence
When you have an offensive line that can A) protect the quarterback and B) generate displacement and creases for the running back at a high level, the chances of victory go up. The Spartans have a chance to make a serious turnaround and return to bowl game action in December, with the ceiling much higher in 2027.
Guys like Murawski, Sharpe, and Moore are going to be valuable for this offense. I can't wait to see this group go to work during the regular season and what they could do against major opponents such as Notre Dame and Oregon. They could be the key to a resurgence in the program.
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Jared Feinberg, a native of western North Carolina, has written about NFL football for nearly a decade. He has contributed to several national outlets and is now part of our On SI team as an NFL team reporter. Jared graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and later pursued his master's degree at UNC Charlotte. You can follow Jared Feinberg on Twitter at @JRodNFLDraft